Man who drove wife's body to police HQ arrested

San Diego  A man who authorities said strangled his wife then drove her body to police headquarters in downtown San Diego early Tuesday was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Americus De Orenday, 44, was booked into jail hours after his estranged wife, Mirella De Orenday, was found dead on the floorboard of his yellow 2004 Ford pickup, police Lt. Jorge Duran said.

Her death occurred less than a month after her husband filed a request on Aug. 28 for a restraining order against her, citing his fear she could harm him or their three young children.

Duran said the couple had a history of domestic violence.

Police said Americus De Orenday parked his truck on 14th Street between Broadway and E Street, where he flagged down officers just after 1:30 a.m. The truck had a hose running from the exhaust pipe into the back window of the cab, and there was blood inside the vehicle, Duran said.

The truck was parked on 14th street on the west side of the police headquarters.
— John Gibbins

The truck was parked on 14th street on the west side of the police headquarters.
— John Gibbins

De Orenday, a licensed vocational nurse, was questioned and then taken to a hospital to be treated for a laceration to his arm before being booked into jail on suspicion of killing his 40-year-old wife.

The San Diego couple were married for nine years, according to court records. The husband was granted a temporary restraining order against his wife and it was extended on Sept. 16.

Americus De Orenday alleged in the court documents that his wife scratched, slapped and bruised him on multiple occasions, and police were called at least three times.

He said his wife had been diagnosed with “intermittent explosive disorder” but had stopped taking her medication and stopped seeing her therapist, the records said.

He said he also feared for the safety of the couple’s children, two 6-year-old twin sons and an 8-year-old daughter, according to court records. He had been granted custody of the children, but his wife was allowed supervised visits.

The court filings said that the couple were due to attend mediation on Oct. 10, and a hearing was set for Oct. 31 to extend the restraining order.